Total Sites
57,912
9 federal databases
Severity Density
1.36
Severity-weighted sites per sq mi
High-Severity Sites
1,200
Superfund NPL, PFAS detections + similar top-tier records
Data Sources
EPA, USGS
9 databases checked
Source Breakdown
Top Counties in Wisconsin
Milwaukee County carries Wisconsin's densest documented record — 28.52 severity-weighted sites per square mile across 5,747 records, most commonly Underground Storage Tanks, including 50 high-severity sites. Density describes the county's record, not any single parcel.
| County | Sites | Density | Dominant Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee | 5,747 | 28.52 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Waukesha | 3,328 | 7.55 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Racine | 1,352 | 4.90 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Brown | 2,042 | 4.84 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Ozaukee | 855 | 4.74 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Kenosha | 986 | 4.44 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Washington | 1,228 | 3.83 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Winnebago | 1,312 | 3.61 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Dane | 3,085 | 3.13 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Sheboygan | 1,243 | 3.03 | Underground Storage Tanks |
Milwaukee
Sites
6K
Density
28.5
Source
Underground Storage TanksWaukesha
Sites
3K
Density
7.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksRacine
Sites
1K
Density
4.9
Source
Underground Storage TanksBrown
Sites
2K
Density
4.8
Source
Underground Storage TanksOzaukee
Sites
855
Density
4.7
Source
Underground Storage TanksKenosha
Sites
986
Density
4.4
Source
Underground Storage TanksWashington
Sites
1K
Density
3.8
Source
Underground Storage TanksWinnebago
Sites
1K
Density
3.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksDane
Sites
3K
Density
3.1
Source
Underground Storage TanksSheboygan
Sites
1K
Density
3.0
Source
Underground Storage TanksAgricultural Pesticide Use in Wisconsin
In the 2019 federal survey estimates, Wisconsin's most-applied agricultural pesticides statewide were Glyphosate, Metolachlor & Metolachlor-S and Metolachlor-S. These estimates describe agricultural land use across the state — context for what's in use around the region, not a reading on any garden's soil.
Pesticide data: USGS NAWQA Pesticide National Synthesis Project (EPest county-level use estimates). Latest available county estimates: 2019.
County-Level Detail in Wisconsin
The federal record isn't uniform across a state. Here's what's documented around Wisconsin's counties with the densest records — each read from that county's own sites, not the state average. Proximity is information, not a diagnosis; a soil test settles any near neighbor.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Milwaukee County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Milwaukee County — 5,747 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track, 50 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 50 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Milwaukee County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 5,747 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the Milwaukee County center
- Citgo #4248 — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.2 km from the county center
- Sunshine Gas — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.2 km from the county center
- Bucyrus Erie International — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.2 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Milwaukee County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Wisconsin parcel to see what's actually near you.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Waukesha County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Waukesha County — 3,328 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 24 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 16 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Waukesha County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 3,328 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the Waukesha County center
- Pewaukee City Water And Sewer Utility — PFAS · ~0.8 km from the county center
- Wk-07/19e/31-0603 — Nitrate · ~1.5 km from the county center
- Walgreen Co #5466 — Brownfields · ~1.5 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Waukesha County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Wisconsin parcel to see what's actually near you.
Check an Address in Wisconsin
Read your Wisconsin parcel
See exact proximity distances to contamination sources for your specific parcel — plus soil, sun, drainage, and 1,112 plant recommendations.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
25+ data sources analyzed in seconds